Harewood Estate Mount Barker Riesling 2021
- 94
- $23
- Drink by: 2021 - 2028
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We’ve been raving over the quality of the vintage for Rieslings in the Clare and Eden Valleys in South Australia. Clearly, it was a pretty special vintage in the West from the look of the Harewood Rieslings. From a single vineyard in the Mt Barker region, again free run juice only with a long, cool ferment in stainless steel. There seems slightly more green in the colour here but still a lovely green gold. The nose is mineral, florals, citrus and a hint of bath salts and river stones. Serious power underneath but all in balance and all kept well in check. Spices and florals on the palate. Good balance and a lovely lingering finish. I’m sure that this is something which someone who is not a tone-deaf musical buffoon like me could explain better, but what I found really intriguing here was the finish. At the very end of Springsteen’s ‘Thunder Road’, the E Street Band’s “Professor” Roy Bittan on the piano includes a wonderful moment where the sound seems to cascade away. Always gives me a chill. The finish of this wine seemed to offer that same gentle cascade to a fade out, and made me very happy.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
